Alexander Signature Review

SUMMARY

The Alexander Signature Series by Nest is a line of luxury mattresses. The Alexander Signature mattresses—soft, medium and firm in foam and a hybrid version. These four different offerings seek to deliver luxe without requiring big bucks. (See what I did there?!) For more top-of-the-line offerings, see the best luxury mattresses.

All foam or hybrid, Nest put some money into the fabrics, features and materials. They hoped to deliver a comfortable, supportive mattress. Then they paired the product with the ease of online ordering and getting your mattress delivered direct from the factory to try to give customers the full package.

Because this luxury series of mattresses costs more than other online offerings, Nest knew it had to take a holistic approach to building their business.

The four-mattress Alexander Signature Series is the result.

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are some cool things to consider about the memory foam Alexander Signature mattress and the Alexander Hybrid:

• Signature mattress come in soft, medium & firm- for a very customizable mattress.
• Hybrid is a medium firm in a combo of foam and coils.
• Quilted tops on all mattresses. Not everyone does that.
• Eco-friendly foams on all styles are certified CertiPUR-US certified.
• Made in the USA.
• Hybrid has copper-infused foam for cooling.
• Company makes mattresses that cover a range of prices and styles.
• Alexander Signature line is the luxury side of Nest.

FEATURES

Type

The Alexander Signature Mattresses (soft, medium, firm) are foam mattresses.

The Alexander Signature Hybrid has a core of memory foam and innerspring coils.

Cooling

The Alexander Signature mattresses are made of foam, which has a bad reputation for heating up and leaving many sleepers sweating and uncomfortable. Technology has changed that. These mattresses have a breathable fabric cover and cooling gel at the top layers and use a viscous foam for another level. The overall effect creates a cooler mattress for hot sleepers.

The Alexander Hybrid is made with similar foam materials, with the same cooling effects as the rest in the line, but also has a 7-inch layer of coils. Coils naturally allow good airflow so you won’t overheat.

Firmness

The Alexander Firm mattress is very firm, ultra in industry jargon. This type is good for heavier people (BMI 35-40+) who sleep on their backs or stomachs. The firmness may be too much for side sleepers, who need more contouring for their shoulders or hips. But try a mattress topper in case that helps. You’ll also be OK if you don’t have many curves to your body. Of course if you grew up liking the feel of a very firm mattress, like using a Japanese futon, this would also appeal to your tastes. For similar mattresses, see the best mattress for heavy people.

The Alexander Medium is exactly what it purports to be—a medium mattress. Many boxed mattresses are on the firm side of medium. The Alexander medium is right in the center of the firmness scale. This mattress appeals to and is good for anyone who is about average weight. If you’re very heavy or very light, you should try the firm or soft versions, respectively. The Medium is a good mattress for back sleepers and side sleepers. Also, anyone who likes a soft mattress but don’t want to sink through the mattress, may find this one pleasant enough for their tastes.

The Alexander Soft is very soft. It’ll cradle all of your covers, whether you need it to or night. Side or back sleepers with a slim or athletic build could find a lot of like in the soft version. When you’re light, you don’t need the support or firmness as other body types to keep away from undue pressure or keep your spine in alignment. That’s because you’re not exerting as much pressure on the mattress. Also, if you have always slept on a soft mattress, you will probably like this one. For other pressure relieving options, see the best mattress for side sleepers.

The Alexander Hybrid feels somewhere between the soft and medium levels of the other Alexander mattresses. In other words, it’s a smidge softer than the average medium mattress. Obviously, with the coils inside, the bed itself is bouncier. People who don’t like memory form will appreciate the coil system and side sleepers who don’t want their mattress to be too soft should respond well to the hybrid. If you are looking for a mattress that incorporates memory foam and coils into its layers, see the best hybrid mattresses.

Edge support

If you sleep with a partner and find you have to use the entire surface of your mattress,  you should consider how well the edge of a mattress supports you, whether you’re sitting or sleeping.

Foam mattresses traditionally don’t do as well holding up on the edges are traditional innerspring mattresses. But Alexander Signature line is a new entrant in the online bed sweepstakes. Their technology is new. The Alexander Signature mattresses do support you without making you feel like you’re gonna get pitched over the side. Specific to the hybrid, the coils do enhance edge support even more. If you are looking to make the most of your mattress surface, see the best mattress for sex.

Motion transfer

You don’t want a lot of movement and disturbance on your side of the bed when your significant other or child is getting out or thrashing about on the other side.

Foam mattresses, like the Alexander Signature, and hybrid mattresses, with a combo of foam and coils, like the Alexander hybrid, normally do a good job limiting motion transfer, better than traditional innerspring coil-only mattresses. The same holds true here so long as the bed is suited to your sleep position, firmness taste and body type. For other mattresses that isolate motion well, see the best mattress for couples.

CONSTRUCTION

The 13-inch thickness of the Alexander Signature mattresses have three (firm) or five (soft, medium) different layers, depending on the level of firmness. If you cut the medium version to see the inside, it will look like this:

The fabric cover is a 1/2-inch of cool stretch, quilted fabric. Not all foam mattresses quilt their fabric covers. It’s a nice touch because it keeps materials underneath from shifting and keeps the surface smooth. That also helps air flow through to keep it cool.

The bonus is that the cover is quilted with the first layer, 2.5 inches of gel memory foam to make that first contact with the mattress very soft. Then the gel cools the mattress. The memory foam molds to your body curves, accepting your body an d avoiding the pressure points that cause pain or soreness and shifting throughout the night.

The second layer is a 4-inch layer of gel memory foam that relieves pressure on any body parts that need contouring. The gel infusion draws heat away from bodies. This comfort layer will allow you to sink into the bed before you hit the support layer.

The third layer is a 1-inch Visco Memory Foam. There’s more pressure relief in this layer. You’ll sink further down through this layer, but, at this point, the foam is sturdier so you’re not sinking through the mattress.

The fourth layer transitions you from contouring to support with 1 inch of a firmer poly foam.

The fifth layer forms the base. It is 4 inches of high density poly foam. It acts as the base and support system of the mattress. This layer gives the mattress its shape and makes it durable.

The Alexander Soft has a 1.5 inch quilted cover which sits directly over a comfort layer of 2.5 inches of gel memory foam. Beneath that there is 2 inches of visco foam followed by a 3-inch transition layer of poly foam. The base of the Alexander Signature Soft consists of 4 inches of high density poly foam.

The Alexander Firm is made up of 3 total layers of foam. The base of the Firm mattress is 6 inches of high density poly foam, just like the other two versions. The comfort layer of is 2 inches of gel memory foam, which sits directly over a 3-inch poly foam transition layer. The cover of this mattress version is also quilted with 1.5 inches of foam.

The 12-inch Alexander Signature Hybrid is made up of five different layers.

The first layer is a 1.5-inch memory foam layer infused with gel. It is quilted with soft “thermic phase change” fabric. The two elements work together to keep the bed cool from the top down.

The second layer is a 1.5-inch TitanChil Endurance Foam which adds another cooling layer and support. This layer will do more to mold to your body. It has some give to account from the body parts that may protrude (hips and shoulders for side sleepers, booties for back sleepers, stomachs for stomach sleepers).

The third layer is a 1.5-inch Copper Infused Energex Foam. The copper, one of the most conductive metals on earth, helps dissipate heat from the mattress and your body. The foam is responsive and has some give, making it a better mattress for combination sleepers.

The fourth layer is 1-inch block of a 3-pound density foam called SmartFlow Support Foam. It’s to make sure you feel supported and to enhance the mattress’ durability.

The fifth layer, holding up the rest of the layers, is an 8-inch wedge of Quantum Edge Pocketed Support Coils. Coils always make mattresses breathable. Individually wrapped coils also do a good job of responding to your body movements when you change sleep positions and supporting the hips as a mattress for stomach sleepers.

SPECS

Here is a breakdown of the Alexander Signature and Signature Hybrid mattresses from Nest:

Dimensions

• Twin: 39″ x 75″
• Twin XL: 36” x 80”
• Full: 53” x 75”
• Queen: 60” x 80”
• King: 76” x 80”
• Cal King: 72” x 84”

Weight

Alexander Signature, Queen: 80 pounds

Alexander Sig. Hybrid, Queen: 105 pounds

Thickness

Alexander Signature: 13 inches

Alexander Signature Hybrid: 12 inches

BUYING EXPERIENCE

Trial

You have 100 nights to figure out if one of the Alexander Signature series mattresses fits your needs and expectations. Nest wants you to give it the old college try; that means you have to sleep in it at least 30 days before you can give up and ask for an exchange or refund.

It’s not a weird request. It takes that long to get used to a new mattress. Nest strongly encourages you to call them if you’re still uncomfortable after 30 days. They might make another suggestion, like changing your base or pillow, adding their cooling topper or exchanging for a softer or firmer version of the mattress. Either way, Nest says they’re committed to working with customers to figure it out.

If you do return the mattress, you do get a full refund and the mattress goes to a charity if Nest can arrange it. If not, the company picks it up for free.

Warranty

The Alexander Signature series comes with a hefty 20-year warranty, which covers the mattress sagging more than 1 inch or any splitting seams. The “industry standard” for warranties is 10 years. Nest is betting they’ve built the mattresses so well that they’ll last much longer.

However, keep in mind that the warranty doesn’t necessarily reflect how long a mattress will be comfortable. The mattress will become less comfortable long before it physically starts falling apart, so you should expect to get maybe 10 years of good use out of this mattress.

Delivery & Setup

The Alexander Signature mattresses come compressed in properly sizes packing cartons. Each mattress is custom-built once ordered, which takes 1-3 days. The total time to build, prep and deliver the mattress to you will be some 4-8 business days.

You won’t pay for shipping, unless you live in Hawaii or Alaska.

Once the mattress arrives, grab a buddy and put it on the foundation you’ll be using. Then take it out of its box and plastic wrapper and wait for it to re-inflate. That will take several minutes.

Customer Service

The customer service folk at Nest operate throughout the entire week. I just used the chat feature—you can also call or email—at noon on the West coast on a Saturday. I asked some nit-picky questions about size options and price.

The rep did her best to wade through what I considered a challenging line of questioning. Know that they are willing to put in the effort.

Overall, Nest offers the same customer-pleasing things online customers nearly demand these days (read: free shipping and returns, except if you live in Alaska or Hawaii.)

Price

Alexander Signature Series high $$ to low $$$

Alexander Signature Hybrid high $$ to mid $$$ (See scale below)

Also, you can add additional cooling to any of the signature mattresses with a topper built for that purpose, in the $159 range

And none of the mattresses come with a boxspring. You should use a platform, an existing rigid foundation or an adjustable base. The signature mattress will work the way they’re meant to on any of those surfaces. Nest sells a version of all three.

CONCLUSION

When searching for the perfect mattress, we try not to get stuck in a dense forest of the same size, color, weight and firmness options. So many try to hit the perfect middle ground — medium firm, 10-inch width, foam. How can you tell one from the other? Why should you try?

Nest breaks up the inertia with the Alexander Signature Series of 13-inch mattresses, with different firmness options and the choice between full foam and a hybrid of foam and coils.

They don’t feel so affordable in the way that some direct-to-consumer, online, boxed mattresses do. But Nest gives you quality in the Alexander Series. You’re paying a little more for that.

The options you get and the quality Nest gives you in all of the Alexander mattresses gives you as much a chance to be satisfied as possible.